A kit similar to the original WAD 300B Stereo PP?

You know, an expensive and heavy 'flagship' Push-Pull amplifier, avoiding phase-splitters and using Interstage Transformers.

I think I have covered the common replies above, please vote and comment.

Not going to be cheap but the old WAD kit was one of the best, just ask Noel if he still has his!

[Greg.]

I totally agree with Matt. the original WAD 300B PP was the best amp kit WAD ever produced. Not surprising really, because if you read up on it all, shed loads of R & D went into it. It was produced in WAD's early days when alot more attention went into the detail, as it did to speakers like KLS3 that were intended to work with the 300B PP. I have that combination and it's exceptional in it's sound quality. If WD can reprocate this or something like it, I'm sure there'll be a good market. 565v HT is not a big issue. You treat with the same respect as you would any other voltage. With my experience and safety approach, this HT has been absolutely no problem and should be the same for future punters supplied with quality instructions.

Best wishes,

Greg

[Paul Barker]

I can't see my category on the vote so have to publish reply.

I prefer Greg and co's to the pp pentode amps. 300b's are quite cheap these days, you don't have to buy the boutique ones to get reasonable sound.

The valve itself helps to get a sound out of push pull which is closer to SE.

It's a good blend of compromises, the parallel 300b se doesn't seem to sound right.

The market for a SE single 300b can't be ignored either but yes I vote for another look at this type of pp amp.

The voltages are relative, if you are talking about valve amps shut up about voltage.

[NickG]

Hmm, its a bit of a me too post, but I agree with the views of the last speaker, I couldn't find a option that I would have chosen, maybe somewhere between

"Only like SE" and "Moving heaven".

Maybe we should have a "I may not want one myself, but I think its a great idea for the range" option.

[KennyK]

I'd be interested to see it, but I much prefer mono blocks personally. never got on with stereo amps so far. I'd need to demo one before being convinced...

[Tony Moore]

I'd be interested, having heard Greg's amp. I've about done all I can with my Kit6550 and it sounds wonderful but it still hasn't quite got that "something" that the 2A3PSE had, although in many ways I like the punch and dynamics of the Kit6550 over the 2A3. So perhaps that would be a route that I could investigate...

Tony

[Ianm2]

Formerly known as theakstone, hi all!!

I dunno, it was hard enough to sell mine, I would love to see one tho'.

[John Caswell]

Hi all,
Paul Barker wrote "The voltages are relative, if you are talking about valve amps shut up about voltage."
I must take him to task here. A lot of people would be quite happy to build a valve amp with say 400V HT but would blanch at the thought of 600V-1500V floating around especially if they had to try to get it going live. There is still a lot of fear about electricity, rightly so.
I therefore suggest that those of us who are prepared to put our lives on the line to repair/get going these things should maybe start a new forum offering advice/help/get going only type things.


Dr John

[John T]

Hi Dr John,

I’m sure, like you, when I started on this hobby the “danger” of the high voltages we were using never really occurred to us. ‘Scopes and attempts at TV’s from converted war surplus radar sets using EHT’s of 1,500+ volts never phased us. My “standard” power supply was sans mains transformer – straight off the mains into a selenium rectifier and a couple of capacitors and a dropping resistor! It was obviously lethal but I took care and I never heard of anyone blowing himself up! Surely, when you cross the road, you make sure nothing’s coming before doing so?

Or is it an indication of today's society? - I can appreciate Companies having to cover themselves against the "litigation lot" but surely the current generation can still be credited with a modicum of common sense!

Regards,

John.

[NealG]

I think a re-make of the original 300B PP kit would be one of the best moves WD could make. It was by far the best amp of the WAD range in sound quality and would make a really fine flagship kit, IMHO.